{"id":109682,"date":"2022-10-06T16:48:24","date_gmt":"2022-10-06T14:48:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pre.efe.com\/?p=109682"},"modified":"2024-06-10T12:04:42","modified_gmt":"2024-06-10T10:04:42","slug":"at-least-37-killed-including-22-children-in-mass-shooting-at-thai-nursery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pre.efe.com\/en\/latest-news\/2022-10-06\/at-least-37-killed-including-22-children-in-mass-shooting-at-thai-nursery\/","title":{"rendered":"At least 37 killed, including 22 children, in mass shooting at Thai nursery"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Bangkok, Oct 6 (EFE).- Thai prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered an investigation into a mass shooting that killed at least 37 people, including 22 children, at a child daycare center in northeastern Thailand on Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The suspect, identified as a 34-year-old former police officer, burst into the nursery in Nong Bua Lamphu province in the early afternoon armed with guns and knives and opened fire on those inside before fleeing the scene in a white pickup truck. He killed himself after the attack, along with his wife and child, the Central Investigation Bureau said on its Facebook account.<\/p>\n\n\n

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N A handout photo made available by Ruamkatanyu Foundation shows Thai police officers inspecting the scene of a mass shooting at a childcare center in Nong Bua Lamphu province, northeastern Thailand, 06 October 2022. EFE\/EPA\/RUAMKATANYU FOUNDATION \/ HANDOUT <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Fifteen other people were injured, eight of whom were in a critical condition. Local area hospitals were calling for urgent blood donations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prayut expressed his condolences to the victims\u2019 families and has sent the chief of police to the northeastern village of Uthai Sawan to speed up the investigations, according to a statement posted to Twitter<\/a>. The prime minister is expected to visit the town on Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photos provided by police and others circulating on social media show dozens of bloody bodies on the ground and distraught relatives arriving at the center that had been cordoned off by police.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The gunman, Panya Kamrarb, had served as a police officer in the province until he was arrested for drug possession and expelled from the force, the Royal Thai Police said on Facebook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Police chief Damrongsak Kittiprapas told a press conference that Panya was scheduled to go to court on Friday on the drug charges, adding he had been stressed and heavily under the influence of methamphetamines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Police spokesman Paisan Luesomboon told ThaiPBS television that the assailant had arrived at the daycare center, which caters to children between two and five years old, to pick up his son.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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